The Temple of Wind

[umslay]

Who: Ales, NPCs, any Heroes here to fight
What: Confronting the Archfiend of Wind
Where: Outside Trano Golsaucia, Trano Golsaucia, Temple of Wind
When: May 15th
Notes: Toplevels will be unlocked as progress is made. Replies will be made at least once a day. See the OOC plotting thread EDIT: OOC dungeon information

Mingle at the Camp
Approaching the Temple
The Flying Fortress
Ales Mansay, the Archfiend of Wind
???

Comments

[not_most_days]

[Mary uses Rope's End, Ceiling Climbing, Parkour and all of her Assassin training to get through the air to the mechanical dragon and then get a good grip as she slams into it. She doesn't just depend on the job powers but finds handholds and footholds as she climbs along, trying to find some weak spot on the thing.]

The sage's-OH YOU BLOODY FOOL.

[She had a feeling it was him, but she never brought the subject up, not without enough certainty.]

First off, we have no clue if the Sage's vision was the future, another cycle, or just some fantasy he cooked up to 'test us'. Nobody can even remember the information he supposedly told us to make some of our own seek to destroy everything, and I doubt many of ours would have still. Second, YOU TOOK THE DAMNED DIAMOND WEAPON TO ATTACK A CIVILIAN POPULATION.

[She hefts herself up, leaping as the dragon flies along to reach the next handhold. It takes her a moment to get steady again before she continues.]

And given the chance to prove that vision wrong, what do you do? You side with Kalki and send a different giant automaton against a civilian population!

[Reaching into her shirt, she pulls out her sonic screwdriver and points it at the nearest joint in the thing and sets the tool to whirring.]

The Creed does not absolve you of killing innocents, and it calls on you to act wisely and take responsibility for your choices, not shift the blame to those who try to stop you from acting a fool! You can't claim to be protecting humanity while pointing a bloody gun at it!

[jadethenecromancer]

[The others have a better chance at getting through to Ales. Jade decides to focus on support instead, casting Curaga to heal Mary and Jaune.

He's still not opposed to killing Ales if it comes to that. Still, the Heroes have surprised him before with their ability to talk down their enemies. He'll let them have a chance at it and keep them protected in the meantime.]

[umslay]

[The mechanical dragon roars, shaking its body to throw Mary off, its fin falls off thanks to her efforts, but it retaliates by opening its mouth, revealing a large crystal where its throat would be, and firing a Wind Laser at the group below.

Ales picked up his weapon, turning to Mary as she was closest.] Hmph. Predictable. I know you would have had the same reaction if you had seen my Shadow. [He fires a Leg Aim at her, temporarily preventing her from moving around. And in a mocking tone:] "Oh Ales, what a great scientist, he will always go along with our plans, he has always followed what is expected of him." Frankly, I've been getting sick of all of you for months on end. I guess that's just a constant in every world I go to, hm?

[He turns to the ground and firest a Heavy Shot at Jade.]

You know Jade? You were one of the Heroes I truly admired. In my world, most of the residents are too lazy and dependent on Polokus to think for themselves, and here you were, working in the lab and saying what had to be said.

So sorry for dying in this thread

[arcward]

[Jaune stupidly wasn't watching Ales when he was talking with Saori, naively believing they could solve this without bloodshed, so's blindsided by the Heavy Shot. He cries out in pain as he falls to his knees.] Seriously? I was trying to keep you alive!

[He feels Jade's Curaga wash over him and gives him a nod of thanks as he rises back up, this time facing Ales. He manages to throw his shield up at the last second to protect him from the brunt of the Wind Laser.] Looks like we don't have a choice now. [He's tempted to take a swipe at the guy, still a little upset by his sudden attack on him, but he's noticed that Mary - an assassin - is having a hard time hitting him. Little guy's pretty agile, and Jaune can help with that. He begins a Slow Dance to try to slow Ales down.]

If you admire him thinking for himself, then stop attacking for a minute and think for yourself! Is fighting us your wish, or Kalki's? Are you still just following orders? You have a choice here, Ales. Choose!

[needsteaplz]

Then why not reach to one of us? None of us are afraid of being called out if needed. Sometimes we need that second opinion even if we don't realize it right away. Damn it Ales, I trusted you as a fellow Assassin!

[The hit from the Wind Laser was enough to trigger her counter attack. She could just aim at the dragon but where it has to hurt...

Oh. Hello, shiny weak point. At least if what her experience with playing games and fighting several beasts has taught her. She runs and takes up at a leap towards the dragon's mouth. With a war cry, she thrusts her sword at the crystal along with a parting shot of thunder ninjutsu. Before she became mechanical dragon chow, she swung herself onto its back, plunging the sword into it to hang on.]

So you mean to tell us you can sleep easy every night knowing how many lost their lives because of your actions?

[not_most_days]

[Mary cries out as Ales' shot strikes her, a numbness spreading through her leg at the impact. The thrashing of the dragon shakes her loose but she's able to scramble to find another handhold. She's still on the thing but she's now fallen further down it, unable to regain ground or do much else as she tries to keep herself from being thrown.
]

All we ever expected of you was to do your part to help save this world. Thinking for ourselves and acting as needed where others couldn't is what I gathered the Assassins for! [Plans had not always worked out as much but that had a lot to do with the scheming of their enemies and certain investigations being dead ends, or at least less fruitful than she'd hoped. But that didn't mean she took him for granted.]

[jadethenecromancer]

[Jade takes the Heavy Shot fired at him stoically, swiftly healing himself with Curaga immediately afterwards.]

Really now? I'm flattered. [He doesn't sound very moved.]

You know, I do understand how people like Kalki and Palitutu think. There was a time in the past I might have even agreed with them. However, Kalki's goal... [He shrugs and shakes his head, as though they weren't in the middle of a battle.] There is no meaning in a world without life and death. There would be nowhere left to go. No reason for people to change. And Palitutu... I tried to enact her plan myself in the Sage's vision and turned into a literal monster for it. Makes a man reconsider his priorities, doesn't it?

[Jade smiles glumly, casting Enlightenment to double the party's attack power.]

People like us are not meant to decide the fate of the world, Ales. We get too enamored with our own brilliance to acknowledge when we're wrong.

[umslay]

[The Slow Dance gives Ales only one move this round though the Mechanical Dragon still takes it single action per round. As it finishes up with powerful strike, Saori's thunder attack hits the crystal, causing it to grow bright. The head shook and it roared.

Ales frowned at those below him.]

I am choosing my own destiny. Kalki offered this chance, and I took it knowing what had to be done. You think I can instate a new order in the Glade of Dreams if I allowed myself to cry over every little loss? I had to cut off my emotional ties to Betilla when I locked her up, else she would try to stop me!

[He fired a Heavy Shot at Reno, amplified by River of Blood. ]

This new world will be free of the Calamity! I won't make the same mistakes in the Glade, in the vision, and I will risk my life for order in the world!

[With that, the dragon swoops up to the top of the chamber, circles the Wind Crystal, and dives downward with its teeth bared, aiming at the group of heroes for a Bite attack.]